Mine ventilation.



. I. LIDE.

MINE VENTILATION.

APPLICATION FILED APILz, I9I5.

Eatented 0ct.1,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

a im v IVI. I. I IDE.

MINE VENTILATION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, |915. Patented 0016.1 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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MINE VENTILATION.

inseam.

I citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine Ventilation,of which the following is a specification.

c This invention is an improved method and meansfor introducing air,properly heated and humidified, into `a mine. y

The object of the invention is to prevent the danger of mine explosions,incident to the drying out of mines and the consequent accumulation ofcoal dust therein.

It is well known that, when large volumes ofair are introduced into amine at a lower temperature than the mine, the air will ab-V sorb themoisture from the mine, and hence dry it out. This is due to the Vfactthat, not only does the fresh air enter the mine usually in anunsaturated condition, but to the further fact that, when this air isheated to the temperature of the mine, its capacity forab- -sorbingmoisture-from the mine is increased.`

-The` usual processof` ventilating amine is, therefore, a dryingprocess, and this is especially true in the winter season when theoutside air is considerably colder than the inside of the mine. If,however, the fresh, entering air could be heated to a temperature higherthan that of the mine, and if after being heated, moisture could beadded to .theV air, it readily follows that the moisture would beprecipitated from the air after entering the mine, and that, therefore,the process would be reversed from a drying to a wetting process.` y y f`Moreover, if automatic and adjustable means are provided' fformaintaining the temperature and relative humidity of the entering airatany desired fixed points, it readily follows that the rate ofdeposition, or of extractionof. moisture, in or from the mine, can becontrolled.` It'is the purpose of this invention to `provide amethod ofintroducing the air into the mine, whereby this result can be achieved.y My invention therefore contemplates treating thel entering air byartificially heating it until its temperature reaches apredeterminedrelation with that of the existing mine temperature andWhere desired to further treat the heated air by the addition ofmoisture thereto soy as to prevent the absorption of moisture from themine and to` Specification of Letters Batent'. i

Application led April 26, 1915.

Patented oet. i, lare.

Serial No. 24,127.

cause, if desired, a deposit of moisture from the air throughout themine.

My invention consists in a novel method of introducing the treated airinto the mine. This phase of my invention has for its object to providefor the effective treatment of the air without interfering with the freemovement of the haulageor hoisting equipment in mineswhere the fresh airenters the main slope, shaft or entry used by such haulage equipment.`To this 1end I provide an auxiliary or by-pass leading from the open airinto the mine air intake or main entrance near its outer, end and lforce the air supplied to the mine through such lay-passage at apressurethat will overcome the resistance of the heating and moistening mediaand also balance the suction pull of the mine exhaust fan working at theoutlet for the mine air and therefore produce in the main mine entrancea balanced or static condition of air. Y LThe function of the by-passagein combination with the balancing air supply and exhaust fans is toproduce such a balanced or static condition of the air in the main airintake or entrance to the mine that such entrance can be left open andyet approximately all of the air entering the mine is caused to flowthereinto through the by-pa`s sage where it can be heated and humidiiiedand none of the treated air will short circuit and back out y throughthe mine entrance. The balancing fan will be experimentally adjustedtosuch a pressure in relation to the main exhaust fan and the resistanceof the air treatingfmedia to be overcome that air willenter the mineonly through the bypassage. i The balancing fan will blow the airthrough some commercial form of steam or hot'water heater. Thetemperature of the air will be controlled by some commercial system oftemperature regulation, whereby the amount of steam or hot- Waterentering thel heater will be automatically adjusted through the agencyof valves on the heater, and thermostats located in the by-passage, tomaintain an approximately constant temperature of the air at apredetermined value. Commercial means for humidifying the airby means ofsteam jets or water atomizing spray nozzles will be employed in thebypassage after the air has been heated.

As illustrative of the preferred method of and means for Vcarrying outthe objects of myinvention, reference is made to the accompanyingdraWings Which form a part of this specification, and in Whiohr Figure 1is a horizontal cross sectional view through a mine illustrating themain mine entry, the by-passage and the main air Way leading from themine to the exhaust fan.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the by-passage and balancing fan.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional vieW taken along the line x-:r oi Fig. 2.

Fig. 4f illustrates formally the automatic means for controlling the airheater in the by-pass.

i Similar referencenumerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings. i

rThe entering air is forced by a balancing fan 1 driven by a motor 2through a bypassage 3 into the mine air inlet or main entry 4 at a pointWhich Will give thisbypassage suilicient length for the treatment o airin the manner hereinafter described. That portion of the main entrybetween Aits outer end that opens to the atmosphere and the point ofjunction with the lay-passage is designated by the numeral 5 andconstitutes that outer end portion of the main entry in which it is mypurpose to maintain a balanced or static condition of theair pressure sothat, as indicated by the arrow, there will be no appreciable airmovement in either direction. The air which enters the mine through theby-passage, after circulation through the mine, isd 'avvn out throughthe main air Way 6 -by an exhaust fan 7 driven by a motor 8. The fans 1and 7 are adjusted so that the balanced pressure condition Will resultin the portion 5 of the main entry and all fresh air entering the minewill take the course of the arrows and ow through the by-pas'sage. Inthe outer end of this by-passage I provide a brattice 9 having an airinlet funnel l0 leading therethrough from the fan, and having on one orboth sides doors 11 for entry to the by-passage. Inl an extension casing12, into which the funnel 1U delivers the entering air, I arrange an airheater 13 of any commercial type such for instance as a heater formed bya series of'vertical pipe coils throughwhich a heating medium iscirculated under the 'control of valves 14. These pipes are arrangedin'groups, each of which has its valve 14: controlled by fluid pressureconducted to the valve through a pipe 15 under controlof an automat-iethermostat 1G located :inthe bypassage 4. As illustrated, thecontrolling fluid pressure is delivered through a. pipe 1.7 to a casing1S `Where its delivery to the pipes 15 is independently controlled by amechanism not shown.

Inasmuch as one important object of my invention is to eiifectivelyhumidity the entering air after ithas been heated, I provide, as anillustrative means to this end, a steam pipe line 19 which enters thebypassage and delivers steam through a series oi" jets 20 into the airto moisten it, and in addition thereto I provide a Water pipe line 21having a series ol sprays 22 therein which are for convenience disposedalong the roof of the by-passage. The air having humidity imparted tc itby the steam jets 20 or the Water sprays 22, or both of these means,then enters the main entry l in a heated and humidilied condition.Inasmuch as it will be desirable to regulate the humidity of theentering air, I provide valves 23 and l24 for the Water and steam pipesand I adjust said valves tor the desired humidity to be imparted to theair. The automatic control apparatus is only formally illustrated inFig. `3, inasmuch as the same forms no part of my presentyinvention as Icontemplate using any standard type of commercial automatic control forregulating theheat and humidity imparted tothe entering air.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as neu and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1 l 1. The hereindescribed process ofintroducing treated air to ventilate mines, which consists inintroducing the treated air intov the mine entry at a point spacedinwardly from the open end of the entry and at a pressure adapted tomaintain a substantially static condition of air in the open end of saidentry.k

2. The l'lereindescribed process of ventilating amine having a mainhaulage entry and an air outlet passage, which consists in creating acurrent of air which enters the main haulage entry at a point spacedinwardly from its open end, 4and causing said current of air Where itlenters the main entry to have a direction of ovv 4and a pressure whichwill produce a substantially static condition of airyin the open end ofsaid main entry. 1 i Y z 3. The hereindescribed process `-forventilating mines having main haulage entry and an air outlet passage,which consists in forcing an artilicially Warmed"current of air formingthe air supply to enter the main haulage entry through a by-pass at itsouter end and at `such pressure as to produce a substantially staticcondition' of air in the outer open end of said entry.

4. The hereindescribed process for ventilating mineslaving `main haulageentry and an air outlet passage, which consists in forcing anartificially warmed and moistened current of air forming the air supplyto enter the main haulage entry through a bypass at its outer end and atsuch pressure as to produce-av substantially staticeondition of airinthe outer yopen end of said entry. v

In combination with a main entry of a mine, a b y-pass entering the mainentry near its open end, an air outlet passage, a fan Working to forcethe Ventilating supply of air through said by-pass, and a fan working toexhaust said air from the mine through said. air outlet passage, saidfans being cordinated and adapted to produce a static condition of airin the open end of the main entry.

6. In combination with a main entry of a mine, a by-pass entering themain entry near its open end, an air outlet passage, a

fan Working to force the Ventilating supply of air through said by-pass,a fan working to exhaust said air from the mine through said air outletpassage, said fans being c0- 'ordinated and adapted to produce a staticcondition of air in the open end of the main entry, and means to modifythe humidity of said air supply in advance of its entrance into the mainentry.a

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of a Witness.

MARTIN J. LIDE. Witness;

N 0Min WELSH.

Qopies of this patent may he obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

